Faux Show: Distressed Salvaged-Style Flooring

I love the look of reclaimed wood. When it's done well. It has a certain patina that you just can't replicate — or so I thought. A couple of days ago, I heard about a new line of hardwood flooring that delivers the lived-in look of old, weathered barnwood without the actual provenance.

The flooring in the photo comes from Holland-based Du Chateau, which reproduces antique hard-wax oil floors that are both high-end and eco-friendly. The company's new Heritage Timber Edition features scrapes, nail holes notches and saw kerf marks "reminiscent of salvaged textures."

Part of the appeal for me of actual reclaimed wood is its past life. A guy I know used old snow fences from Wyoming to line his restaurant's walls and ceilings, and every time I'm in there, I think of how many brutal winters it took to give that wood a look every bit as grizzled as an old cowboy.

My gut reaction to the distressed flooring kind of reminds me of my mom's response when I wanted to buy some artfully (and expensively) torn-up jeans as a teen. "Why would you pay all that money when you're perfectly capable of ruining new jeans on your own?" At the same time, Du Chateau's floors really are quite lovely.

In case anyone's looking, I've got some seriously beat-up fir flooring at my house. The scrapes and gouges, hard-earned over the past 90 years, should help fetch a premium price!